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记者的观察
The realities of real estate
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
. B1 e3 n) X; k( I7 KEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.! e2 B! Q0 t& x
! a D' }- k. r& N7 j& gThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.4 W3 g( r# q6 Z; E0 P
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She moved here in December with dreams of being a homeowner, something she could never afford in Vancouver despite four years of saving her money for a down payment.
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, H( }7 G; @5 fBut she didn't expect Edmonton's world of hot housing where the law of successful buying seems to consist of three elements: speed, cash and no conditions., U7 B' t# A( K7 W, G) S
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"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."
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; I" ? Y$ U! J3 v4 u3 g) \Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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8 F6 Q, x! w; C. SBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.5 {$ e9 K' F. p' o5 j& ?
, B" l4 ~! A0 t) `She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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+ H9 E8 C- V" @6 uOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.& ^+ J( l9 K2 w' X2 w& [# h
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.' d6 p8 q9 _' O% i4 E$ n# r, t
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Forty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.
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She left a 23-marriage and a 1,700-square-foot home last year. She works as an administrator and now rents a three-bedroom townhouse./ y$ w0 r% y$ r9 w& o6 e* Q
3 k* i* r7 I" QBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.' H) G# O: q2 M) n3 [! Y
: \2 S' _& |( VSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.; a ^7 o$ [+ k
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"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."$ M% A- t% d6 y F" w" K
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.! Q U# d0 x1 X) w, {" G2 S
; K2 b7 \/ h4 g5 B) N' R0 K8 zAn average single dwelling unit in Edmonton sold for $316, 480 in August this year. An average townhouse, which includes the price of duplexes, sold for $262,327 in the same month. Last year in August an average townhouse sold for $175,922.- j8 P4 p0 t3 T) u! \1 g
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The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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"It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable."
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/ t' r' H @- XThat may mean sellers are not as open to "conditions" on offers as they used to be -- such as a house inspection before the deal is finalized. |
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